The Best Bicycles for Kids at Every Stage

Whether your kid is a future starter in the Tour de France or they just want to ride around the neighborhood for fun, a great, reliable bike is something every kid should own, and the best of gifts for holidays or birthdays. My children ride their bikes more than I ever did as a kid — and research shows that's a good thing. It turns out that kids who ride bicycles have higher levels of daily activity and better cardiovascular health as they age, so encouraging them to saddle up is a great thing for a parent to do.

With so many options and factors to consider, finding the best bike for your kid can feel like a difficult shopping task to tackle. Luckily, I did weeks of research, testing, and speaking with bicycle experts and manufacturers to learn just what you need to know when you are going to buy your child a bicycle.

A Few Things First

There’s a lot that goes into picking out the right bicycle for your little one — everything from their age to their height to where they’ll be riding are major factors to consider. But there are also less obvious things to consider like the weight of the bike and what is or isn’t developmentally appropriate for your rider.

Instead of bikes with training wheels, we suggest balance bicycles for inexperienced little riders because, according to my colleagues at Bicycling and the manufacturers I consulted, training wheels enable your learning rider to lean on them for support and don't teach your child how to effectively balance. Instead, pedal-less balance bikes promote balanced gliding.

We also avoided big-box store bicycles because they tend to be very heavy and fall short on quality. Mathias Ihlenfeld, CEO of woom bicycles, says, “Investing in a lightweight bike for your kid will make riding easier and more fun, which helps develop the confidence and skills they need to create a lifelong love of cycling.”

Boutique and smaller kid-specific bikes are lighter, safer, and also require less service. Bicycling's Dan Chabanov says it's important to note that the initial assembly of the bicycle is best done at a repair shop with a reputable bicycle expert. Things like brakes and gears can be tricky, and you don’t want to compromise the safety of your child’s bicycle with improper assembly.

What to Consider

When you're looking at bicycles for kids, you should consider a few main things: the age and skill of the rider, the height of the rider, and your budget. As for weight, I chose bicycles that are lighter than the standard of the brands you'd find in-store at big-box retailers, but I will include bicycle weight in the specs.

Age and Skill Level

First Bicycles

How old your child is doesn’t always correspond with their skill level. Fortunately, there are bicycles for all kids that can be ridden from beginners who are in preschool to those who are a bit older and beyond. As the parent of an autistic child, I understand that simply getting some kids on a bicycle can be a challenge, so investing in a bike that’s easy to use is key. For the majority of kids, the first bicycle you should buy for your child is a balance bike, such as the Strider. These bicycles have no pedals or brakes and are designed for kids to push themselves off the ground, lift their feet, and glide.

Learning to Pedal

After your kids get the handle of balancing, you'll move into a fixed-gear coaster bicycle, such as the Riprock. These have rear brakes as opposed to hand brakes, making them just one step up from a balance bike. They tend to be light, easy to get used to, and are generally a great first ride for your little one.

Hand Brakes and Multi-Gear Bicycles

When your kid goes from being a casual learner to a serious rider, it's time to move up to a bicycle with hand brakes. Some bikes with hand brakes only have one gear, which is ideal for casual riding around the neighborhood. However, Bicycling says, “If your kid’s rides are more than a few miles, you should consider getting a bike with multiple gears.” Yes, this adds to the cost, and it makes it a trickier item to buy, but it makes for a much more comfortable ride, which goes a long way to foster a love of riding.

Rider Height

Unlike adult bicycles that are measured in frame height, bicycles for kids are measured in wheel size. The bigger the wheel, the taller the rider. In order to find the right bike size for your kid, Guardian Bicycles, a kids’ bike manufacturer, advises measuring your child’s inseam with shoes on in a relaxed stance. Once you have your measurements, you should choose a size that’s a few inches shorter than that, allowing clearance and comfort for your little rider. Most bicycles have seats that adjust quite a bit vertically, so they’ll be riding them even after they outgrow the inseam.

Budget

We'll be upfront here — bicycles for kids can get pricey, ranging from about $250 to over $1,000. Thankfully, every bicycle on this list is one that will last for a long time, making them great not only for the child you're buying it for but also for any siblings who may size into it as the original giftee sizes out of it — just keep it well-maintained and you'll have a steady ride for years to come.

How We Chose

Each bicycle on this list was chosen by parents who have children who ride frequently. Plus, my own children personally tested multiple bikes on our list. We evaluated them for the ease of ride, the sturdiness and durability of the frame and brakes, and how much their overall look appealed to kids.

Check out our top picks below!